I’m having a particularly carb-y quarantine. Something about feeling cooped up in the house makes me want to eat my way through a couple oversized bowls of pasta a day. I’m trying to combat some of these impulses, with mixed success, and trying to eat more vegetable and sensible things. This recipe is the combination of both - lots of satisfying carbs from both potatoes and pasta, and a mountain of greens that cooks down into a small manageable volume.
You can really go for it with the greens, they will basically disappear once they warm through. Adding a huge mountain of greens is the best way to counteract any misplaced qualms you may be feeling about eating pasta and potatoes at the same time. And please do push those qualms away; the combination is lovely. The potatoes crisp up in the oven and provide a great texture contrast to the pasta. The light, lemony sauce comes together in a flash while your pasta is cooking. Toss it together with the goat cheese so that the cheese melts slightly into the sauce.
This is a perfect pantry pasta because of its flexibility. The arugula can become kale, spinach or chard depending on what you have available. The goat cheese could be swapped for feta or coarsely grated parmesan or pecorino. Got a few toasted pine nuts or a little bit of leftover bread crumbs? Throw them in, they’ll be fantastic. But the pasta is great without as well. I used lumaconi, a snail shell shaped pasta with a narrow, squashed opening and a wide opening. It’s great at collecting sauce is it’s cups. I also just think it looks extra charming. Feel free to use any pasta you like.
potato, arugula and goat cheese lumaconi
Adapted from Chez Panisse by way of Smitten Kitchen
1 pound small new potatoes, thinly sliced
6 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pound dry pasta
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
half a bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and smashed
a generous pinch of chili flakes
1 whole clamshell or large bag of arugula, washed well
3 ounces goats cheese
Heat oven to 450° F. Toss the sliced potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper. Cook on a parchment-lined baking sheet until crispy, 10-15 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
While your pasta cooks, cook the garlic in about ¼ cup of olive oil in a large saucepan on medium-low heat. Cook it until it is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add chili flakes and bloom them in the oil briefly.
Add lemon juice and stock to the pan, and increase the heat to high. The sauce should simmer vigorously and reduce. Add pasta water ¼ cup at a time when the sauce becomes fairly thick and reduced. The starchy water will help make a glossy, emulsified sauce that clings well to the pasta.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss with the sauce, reserving the pasta cooking water. Add a little more pasta water if needed to slightly loosen up the sauce. Toss arugula with pasta until it wilts and stir through potato slices. Toss in half the goat cheese and toss until it just begins to melt into the sauce.
Serve pasta topped with remaining goat cheese crumbled over top.